Button-cleaner and garment-protector



(No Model.)

C. L. KRAMER. BUTTON CLEANER AND GARMBNT PB-OTBGTOR.

Patented Mar. 24, 1896.

cLJmmer maf/97M J? J.

ANDREW s GRAHAAMQYG Lrrno NASMHGTDN DC UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE CHARLES L. KRAMER, OF LEAVENVORTH, KANSAS.

BUTTON-CLEANER AND GARNI ENT-PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,935, dated March 24, 1896.

Application liled September 6, 1895. Serial No. 561,613. (No model.)

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Beit knownthat I, GHnRLEs L. KRAMER, of Leavenworth, Leavenworth county, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful 11nprovements in Button-Cleaners and Garment- Protcctors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying 4drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to button'cleaning devices, and more particularly to a device of this character for cleaning and polishing brass or other metallic buttons Wit-hout removing them from the garment to which they are attached. It also is designed as a holder for brass or other metallic cap attachmentssuch, for instance, as crossed guns or swords and scabbards-as found upon military or naval caps.

The object of the invention is to produce a device of this character wherebybuttons may be cleaned by means of acids or other chemicals or in any other suitable manner without such cleaning instrumentalities coming in contact with the cloth or garment to which said buttons are attached.

.A further object is to provide a device of this character which is simple and inexpensive of construction and which may be 1nanipulated easily and expeditiously.

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organizations of parts, which I will now proceed to describe and will point out particularly in appended claims.

Referring to the drawings which accompany and illustrate the invention,'li`igure 1 repre sents afaee view of the button-cleaning device in its closed or portable condition. Fig. 2 represents the saine when in the position it occupies when the buttons are being placed in position. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the same, taken on the dotted line 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.' Ll represents a face view, on an enlargedscale, of the upper end of the device and showing it arranged to hold a cap ornament in position While being cleaned or polished. Fig. 5 represents a cross-section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 5 5 ot' Fig. 1.v

The button-cleaner consists of a body portion 1, the sliding clamping-plate 2, and the end of said slot opens into or communicates with a large circular opening 9, and above said opening and a short distance from its .upper end the base-plate or body portion is transversely slotted, as shown at 10. The sliding clamping-plate 2 is also of any snitable sheet metal,and is at its side margins bent to form the longitudinally inwardly-disposed flanges 1l., and the margin of said plate, together with said flanges lit snugly within the grooves formed at the Jside margins of the base-plate or body portion. Said `flanges 11 are also disposed a slight distance from the body of the plate 2 in order to provide grooves in which the separating-plates 3 and 4 may fit snugly, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

The plate 2 is preferably curved atits lower end and extended slightly beyond the lower ends of the flanges 11 in order to form the tongue 12, and said tongue is provided centrally with the approximately V-shaped slot or notch 13. At its opposite end the plate 2 is bent to form the inwardly-disposed flange 14:,the object of which will hereinafter appear.

The separatingplates 3 and a are preferably arranged relatively, as shown in Fig. l. Said plates are of such thickness, being also of sheet metal, that they may overlap each other when occupying their operative positions in the grooves of the base-plate or body portion, but preferably do not overlap each other in the grooves of the sliding clamping plate 2. The plates 3 midway their opposite ends are notched or slotted, as shown at 15, so as to provide preferably the sharp angles 1G at the outer end of said notches. The plates a are also notched or slotted midway the length of their opposite ends, as shown at 17, in such manner as to obvia-te the sharp corners 16, and provide in lieu thereof the opposing` curved surfaces 18.

IOO

To assemble the parts properly a series of plates 3 and 4, less by one than the number of buttons to be cleaned, are slipped from the lower end up into the grooves of the plate 2, which plate is then telescopically fitted to the base-plate or body portion, and the tongue 12 thereof is caused to project through the slot 10, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The device as thus arranged is now brought opposite the line of buttons on the garment, and said buttons are successively projected forwardly through the opening 9 and slipped down into the slot 7. This is done in the following manner: The first button, or one of the end buttons, is projected through said opening and then moved along with its shank in said slot until it strikes the lower end of the same and can be moved no farther. The nearest of the series of separating-plates upon the plate 2 is now slipped from said plate into the registering grooves of the baseplate or body portion l until its opposing notch 15 comes against the opposite side of the shank of such button, which is thus entirely separated from the garment, owing to the fact that the plate 3 covers the slot 7. The next button of the series is now projected through the opening and is slipped in said slot until its shank enters the opposite notch or slot of the plate 3. The next plate 4 is now slipped from position upon the plate 2 into the registering slots of the plate 1 until its opposing end underlaps the opposing end of the plate 3 and the end of its notch 17 bears firmly against the opposite side of the shank of said second button. Athird button is now brought through the opening 9 and is slipped in the slot 7 until its shank enters and its movement is arrested by contact with the end of the opposite slot of said plate 4. The third plate 3 is then slipped from the plate 2 into the grooves of the plate 1 and is caused to overlap the plate 4. Its notch also snugly embraces the shank of the third button, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The principal object of the curved edges or surfaces 18 of the plates 4 or of every alternate plate is to facilitate the overlaping of said plates by the plates 3, as I have found in practice that when thus constructed the plates will tend to slide past each other, but when formed with the sharp corners 16 they almost invariably need particular manipulation in order to cause them to overlap. This construction, however, is immaterial, and I wish it to be distinctly understood that said notches or slots may be formed either with all sharp corners or not, as preferred. This arrangement of the buttons continues until all of them have been introduced into the slot and the last one fits in a notch or slot of only a single separating-plate. The tongue l2 of the plate 2 is now disengaged from the slot 10, and said plate 2 is forced toward the series of buttons. Its movement is only limited when the tongue underlaps the opposing end of the last or nearest separatingplate, and the slot or notch in said tongue bears firmly against the shank of the last button of the series, as will be readily understood. In the drawings, for purpose of identification, I number the garment 19 and the buttons 20. l

It will be apparent from the foregoing that chemicals or powder may be employed to clean or polish and burnish said buttons without danger of injury to the garment.

W'hen the device is employed to clean or polish cap ornaments the plates 3 and 4 may be dispensed with entirely or may be left in position, as they will not be in the way. To secure such an ornament-for instance, a pair of crossed swords and scabbards 21e-it is arranged upon the plate 2 and its fasteningpin 22 is caused to engage the groove formed by the ange 14. The pin at its free end is then fastened in the customary manner to the ornament. The plates 1 and 2 are then slipped telescopically together until the upper ends of the fianges 5 come squarely against the handles of the ornament, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. Vhile plates are held firmly in this position said ornament can be cleaned in a much more thorough and effective manner than when held between the fingers or held by the hand upon a table or other surface.

Thus it will be seen that I have produced a button and ornament cleaning device which will be found of great service among persons in the military and naval service and other uniformed employs.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A button and ornament cleaning device, comprising a pair of plates fitting telescopically together, and one of them provided with a longitudinal slot and a comparatively large communicating opening, the other provided with a notched or slotted end, and a series of separating-plates provided with notches in their opposite ends and slidingly secured with relation to said telescopic plates, substantially as set forth.

2. A button and ornament cleaning device. comprising a base-plate provided with longitudinal grooves, with a longitudinal slot and with an opening communicating therewith, a sliding clamping-plate fitting telescopically into grooves of the base-plate, and provided also with longitudinal grooves, and a series of notched separating-plates which are adapted to slip from the grooves of one plate into the grooves of the other, and are adapted to overlap each other in the grooves in one of said plates, substantially as described.

3. A button and ornament cleaning device, comprising a base-plate, flanged at its side margins to form longitudinal grooves, flanged at its lower end, and provided with a longitudinal slot, a communicating opening and a transverse slot, a second plate fitting into the grooves of the first plate and provided also with longitudinal grooves and provided with IOO IIO

IIS

a tongue to engage the said transverse slot, and a series of separating-plates, adapted to slide from one plate to the other and provided With notches in tb eir opposite ends, substantially as described.

4. A button and ornament cleaning device, comprising a base-plate having longitudinal grooves, a longitudinal slot, a communicating opening, and a transverse slot, a sliding clamping-plate iitting in the grooves of the base-plate and provided also with longitudinal grooves, and provided also with a notched tongue or extension, and a series of separating-plates adapted to slip from the grooves of one'plate into the grooves of the other, and provided midway with notches in their ends, substantially as described.

5. A button and ornament cleaning device, comprising a base-plate having marginal flanges which form grooves, a plate tting telescopieallyT into the grooves of said baseplate, and flanged at its outer end to form a transverse groove, in which the pin of the ornament may iit, and against which it may be braced by the opposing ends of the flanges of the base-plate bearing against the opposite side of the ornament, substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES L. KRAMER.

lVitnesses z GEO. COOK, GUS SiLvERBERG.- 

